History
The Black Educational Achievement Movement (BEAM) operates as a ‘Sankofa Village’ model. Where a collective of Black educational service providers and Black professionals in both the public and private sectors are committed to reaching back to help our youth, by challenging the insistent disregard of the hopes, dreams and achievements of Black students in the public and private classrooms. Hence, BEAM unites an intergenerational cross section of culturally-proficient community-based organizations that have bridged their years of expertise to elevate and acknowledge youth of African descent who are in pursuit of middle school, high school and post-secondary educational attainment that will prepare them for the globe marketplace.
BEAM Village began as a small pilot program at Portland Community College Cascade Campus called The Passage to Higher Education (2010-2014). A network of 10 to 15 Black academic advisers, educators, and students came together to use informal mentoring and supplemental learning programs to increase school retention and graduation rates of African American/Black students on the PCC campus. The network joined community members, employers, and parents to plan the first Black Student Success Summit (BSSS) in March 2014.
The annual BSSS has served over 2,500 Black students across the state of Oregon and to date, and it is currently BSSS is the largest gathering of Black students, educators, professionals both public and private industry whose mission is to increase students’ academic to career events. However, COVID revealed the large inequities in our education system so BEAM and other community partners have joined together to alter the way we deliver education to students.
Learn more about our Community-Led Student-Centered Learning Hubs.